


Surprise

by gingayellow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 03:57:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7418887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Keith, what about you?" [Shiro/Keith, content warning for discussing past trauma/parental death, spoilers for up to episode 9, very fluffy]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprise

Title: Surprise  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: Discusses past trauma, canonical parental death mention  
Notes: Spoilers for up to episode 9.

 

Shiro flexed his right pointer finger. Then his middle finger, ring finger, pinkie, and thumb. Carefully, he made a fist. Only someone familiar with Galra technology would note that his hand moved a little too quickly for human reflexes.

He frowned slightly as the Galra hand glowed purple for a moment. That was a giveaway as well.

But the arm he could live with—he’d learned that he could live with a lot of things over the past several months. It was when he remembered glimpses of elite Galra soldiers with metal arms and/or legs, or Sendak calling him a monster. The knowledge that he came this close to being a cold-blooded killer like Sendak chilled him to the bone.

He made a fist again. And again.

There really wasn’t anything else to do, since he highly doubted he was going to sleep tonight.

“Shiro?” Keith strode into the room, eyes focused and expression intent. “Are you okay?”

Despite his mood, Shiro felt himself smile. Only Keith would be so, well, _serious_ about such a benign question. “I’m fine.” Or at least he would be. He just… couldn’t quite voice how he felt yet. “But,” he continued as he scooted on the couch, “why don’t you sit with me? I could use the company.” It was a compromise: he couldn’t talk about it, but he could appreciate Keith next to him. And who knew? Maybe it might help Shiro to eventually talk about it.

Keith frowned, but obeyed. “You just seemed really far away,” he explained as he sat next to Shiro.

“Well, I’m here for you now.” Shiro nudged Keith’s shoulder. “So, um, how did you know I was moping, anyways?” Keith had only arrived a few moments ago. He hadn’t even known that Shiro was in the main room. No one did.

“You’re not moping.” Keith’s tone left no room for argument. Then, suddenly uncomfortable, he shrugged. “And you know me. I can just tell when you need someone.” 

Ages ago, back at Galaxy Garrison, Shiro had joked about Keith having a sixth sense when he had found him after suffering a mild injury while training (three times since they’d met). Except Keith hadn’t laughed. He looked away, and mumbled something about how his mother could always tell if he or his dad needed help, no matter what, and that might explain it.

After that, Shiro simply accepted the fact that he had a tiny guardian angel.

And for right now, he wrapped his left arm around Keith’s shoulders. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.” He smiled warmly, partly because he was glad Keith was here, but also hopefully to make Keith feel better.

“I just.” His hand hovered over Shiro’s right hand. Slowly, Shiro nodded. He trusted Keith.

Keith grabbed the right hand, and held it tightly. Like it wasn’t actually a weapon at all. “Listen, Shiro. You don’t scare me.” He leaned in. “You could never scare me.”

Shiro selfishly wished that Mrs. Kogane was alive, and here, so that he could talk to her about her and her son’s ability, because yet again he’d known the problem without being told. “I know,” Shiro said softly, gaze drifting to Keith’s hands wrapped around his right hand. As if he was scared Shiro might disappear (again). “And thank you.” Keith nodded, and Shiro felt something in him ease, just a bit. 

And now that he was feeling a bit better, he was aware that something was wrong with Keith.

They were all minor clues. Only someone familiar with Keith (and Shiro probably knew him better than anyone one) would notice. His eyes were shadowed. He was speaking a little too loudly. He kept avoiding Shiro’s gaze.

Shiro had to do something.

“Keith.” He pulled away his right hand, and knowing that Keith trusted him, he could reach out, metal fingertips brushing against Keith’s face. “What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

Shiro shook his head. “Something is bothering you, and you deserve to have someone to vent to about it as well.” He smiled weakly. “Keith, you helped me, and I wanna help you. If you’re willing to talk, I would love to listen.”

Keith was silent for what felt like forever. Then, finally… “I’ve been having nightmares.”

Oh. “May I ask what they’re about?”

“Well, you’re there. And you’re going about how no one could love a monster like you, which is kinda too melodramatic for you, but that’s how it goes.”

… Yeah. Definitely too melodramatic for Shiro. There was no grain of truth in there at all. “Tell me more.”

“Then. Then you leave me.” Keith sounded like he’d been punched in the gut. “And I know you’d never do that in reality, but… dang it!” He huffed. “You’re back. Why can’t my brain be happy with that?”

Shiro smiled, a little, ruffling Keith’s hair with his right hand. “Sometimes it takes awhile to adjust to even happy things, Keith.”

“Maybe.” He leaned heavily into Shiro. “I really missed you while you were gone.”

Shiro pulled him closer. “That must’ve been terrible, being all alone.” Not to mention being expelled (and Shiro had a sinking feeling it had something to do with Keith not coping with his disappearance), and trying to figure out the mysteries behind the Blue Lion unassisted.

He wondered if anyone had reached out to Keith in that time.

Well, someone was going to reach out now. 

“I’m sorry you had to be alone at all, and thank you for not giving up on me.” He did his best to smooth down Keith’s hair. “And I promise, I will never give into the melodrama.”

Keith’s laugh was always a little odd—more a series of sharp breaths than actual laughter. But it still felt good to hear.

“C’mon.” Shiro helped Keith up. “Let’s go see if there are any space cookies left.”

“Seriously?”

“Then you don’t want cookies?”

“No, I want cookies!” Shiro tried not to laugh at how quickly Keith said that. “I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

“Well, I think we could both use a little change in routine.” Shiro still had things to deal with. He still wasn’t quite ready to sleep. But he was also done with being alone.

And maybe he could do the same for Keith.

\--

Final Note: I’ve had the headcanon for awhile that Shiro, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk are all low level psychics (a necessity for any Paladin, so they can link with the lions/each other when piloting Voltron), while Keith is mid-level (which is why he was aware of the Blue Lion’s energy even before her own pilot). :o


End file.
